Enhanced pathogens

The most popular issue in our third annual poll of Emerging Ethical Dilemmas and Policy Issues in Science and Technology is "enhanced pathogrns," which earned almost 19% of the total votes as of February 2015. Below we've provided more information about this topic to serve as a resource to students, educators, journalists, policy makers, and concerned citizens.

Enhanced Pathogens

On October 17, 2014 the White House suspended research that would enhance the pathogenicity of viruses such as influenza, SARS, and MERS (often referred to as gain-of-function (GOF) research). Gain-of-function research, in itself, is not harmful; in fact, it is used to provide vital insights into viruses and how to treat them. But when it is used to increase mammalian transmissibility and virulence, the altered viruses pose serious security and biosafety risks.

Those fighting to resume research claim that GOF research on viruses is both safe and important to science, insisting that no other form of research would be as productive. Those who argue against this type of research note that the biosafety risks far outweigh the benefits. They point to hard evidence of human fallibility and the history of laboratory accidents and warn that the release of such a virus into the general population would have devastating effects.

Below, you will find resources on the a ban imposed in 2012 and it's follow-up as well as information on the 2014 moratorium and reactions to it. We've provided information on all aspects of the risk-reward analysis as well as policy that's being researched and written with the help of the scientific community. We have also included the perspective of those who oppose the White House's decision to stop GOF research.

Lab Incidents Lead to Safety Crackdown at CDC (Science)
News from July 2014 that the CDC closed two labs and halted some biological shipments in the wake of several incidents in which highly pathogenic microbes were mishandled by federal laboratories.
Other reports from Science about the mishandling of samples can be found here and here.